Auto Loan Credit Tightness Index (CFPB)

## What this measures

An index of the number of consumers with an auto loan inquiry who did not open a new auto loan afterwards, January 2010 = 100, seasonally adjusted.

## Why it matters

It measures how many would-be car buyers seek financing and come away without it, a direct read of auto credit availability.

## How to read it

Higher means more consumers left without a loan. Read it with auto originations (credit.cfpb_cct.auto_originations).

## What it does not say

It cannot tell a denial from a consumer who chose not to buy or paid cash. It moves with the number of applicants as well as with standards.

## Source

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Credit Trends (consumerfinance.gov/data-research/consumer-credit-trends), the all-data CSV (series "Credit Tightness Index", subgroup "all", loan type AUT, seasonally adjusted). The CFPB builds it from a nationally representative sample of de-identified credit records from one of the three nationwide consumer reporting agencies. The CCT page: "The data and analyses presented herein are the sole product of the CFPB"; the CFPB's legal notice: "Information created by the CFPB is in the public domain and you may reproduce, publish, or otherwise use it without the Bureau's permission." Source: CFPB, Consumer Credit Trends. Refreshed weekly by /api/cron/credit-consumer-sync, which re-reads the full CSV.